Medal of Honor Recipient Joins FBI in Thanking Citizen

Medal of Honor Recipient Joins FBI in Thanking Citizen

Retired U.S. Army Col. Bruce P. Crandall knows the solemn pride of wearing the Medal of Honor. When in 1965 he helped evacuate wounded soldiers under intense enemy fire in Vietnam, he didn’t do it for recognition. But, receiving the Medal in 2007—a symbol of acknowledgment and appreciation from his country unparalleled by any other—Mr. Crandall could look back on his actions proudly.

As a member of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Mr. Crandall seeks to protect the valor of the medal so that it remains a unique recognition of extraordinary heroism.

On October 19, Mr. Crandall joined Assistant Special Agent in Charge (ASAC) Steven M. Dean, of the FBI Seattle Division, in recognizing Seattle small business owner Henry Schaloum, for helping protect the integrity of the Medal of Honor award.

Retired Col. Crandall (left) and ASAC Dean take questions from the audience regarding their appreciation for Mr. Schaloum (right).

Mr. Schaloum and his family, including wife Andrea and brother Jack, run the Federal Army and Navy Surplus store, a few blocks away from the FBI office. In the store, Mr. Schaloum displays military memorabilia—not for sale, but to honor the military. Mr. Schaloum himself served in the Army. His father, a Holocaust survivor, purchased four counterfeit Medals of Honor over 40 years ago, believing them to be authentic. In fact, they were authentic in production, but not as authentic Medals of Honor because they were never awarded to a recipient.

Having been purchased years ago and not attempting to sell them, Mr. Schaloum was not committing any federal crime in possessing them. However, he understood that if anything were ever to happen to the medals, they could be utilized by a person fraudulently representing himself as a Medal of Honor recipient. Mr. Schaloum willingly elected to help preserve the integrity of the award by submitting them to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.

Mr. Schaloum (left) listens to Retired Col. Crandall’s explanation that the names of Medal of Honor recipients are etched into the back of their medals. The medals Mr. Schaloum possessed were blank on their backs.

In a ceremony at the FBI Seattle office, Mr. Schaloum handed the awards to Mr. Crandall.

“False claims about the receipt of military medals is a disservice to recipients,” said ASAC Dean. “Mr. Schaloum did the right thing and the FBI thanks him for helping protect the valor of the Medal of Honor.”